A pivot bearing according to the class is known from DE 199 50 585 A1. DE 37 25 245 A1 and DE 195 05 406 A1 present similar solutions. The pivot bearing allows pivoting movements to be performed in the transmission of the movement, for example, of a rocker arm to a valve shaft.
The mentioned second part of the pivot bearing is here constructed, in particular, as a ball socket (so-called “elephant foot”) that holds the first part preferably constructed as a ball in the housing of the hydraulic valve clearance compensation elements (HLA=Hydraulic Lash Adjuster), in order to compensate for clearance in the valve train of an internal combustion engine.
The pivot bearing functions as a joint consisting of a ball and ball socket and has the function of permitting all rotational degrees of motion and simultaneously being able to transfer high forces in translational movements. These forces transmit, for example, the reciprocating motion of the camshaft via a force-transmitting lever (e.g., rocker arm) to the valves in order to open these valves.
The defined movement of the valves is used primarily for exactly maintaining the gas exchange intervals in the combustion chamber and thus ultimately for trouble-free operation of the engine. The ball socket is to be mounted captively for the installation case on the housing of the clearance compensation element, so that, for reasons of easy installation and safe and reliable function, the ball socket is held in its position. The mount for the ball socket must have oil access for lubricating the ball-socket contact.
In valve trains, for hydraulic valve clearance compensation, a hydraulic support element is used. This can be installed both on the valve side and also on the cam side. It has, as mentioned, the balls for enabling angle compensation of the valve train. The connecting part in the form of the ball socket must be mounted captively on the ball, whereby it can be prevented, in particular, that components fall into the interior of the engine and cause damage there during assembly in the engine.
According to the previously known solutions mentioned above, it is known to press the balls against the socket and, in this way, to provide for a clearance-free interaction of the two parts. In this previously known, multi-part solution, a spring ring pulls the ball and socket against each other; the spring ring is here fixed, for example, in a groove that is machined in one of the parts.
In general, fixing the ball in the socket by a flange would also be conceivable. Here, the cross-sectional tapering of the socket required for the mount would then be generated after the force-free positioning of the ball in the socket.
For the previously known solutions, this causes considerable complexity in the production of the necessary components, which is cost-intensive accordingly.